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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 1972)
editorial pmlm (pgj The scapegoat PiiGfEi r OU3S The World in Revolution Conference on Justice in America crumbled rapidly. Attendance started slow. Schedules became confused. The final frustration occured when speakers concelled their appearance contracts at an unprecedented rate. Trapped beneath the fallen ruins of a disappointing conference, the World in Revolution organizers made a last-ditch effort Tuesday to find a scapegoat on which to blame their troubles. The scapegoat chosen was the Daily Nebraskan. In an article in Tuesday's Lincoln Journal, conference chairman Dennis Berkheim blamed the Daily Nebraskan for the conference's small audience. According to the Journal article, no schedule for the conference had been printed in the paper prior to the conference. The Journal did state that the Daily Nebraskan carried "an article", listing the names of the conference speakers. While it is true the Daily Nebraskan carried no schedule of the conference, several points should be made clear on its omission. In spite of pointed implications to the contrary, the omission of the conference's schedule . from Monday's paper was an oversight. Intentions of the staff had been to run the schedule on the basis of its news worthiness. Its omission was unintentional. On the other hand, The Daily Nebraskan offers regular publicity services called "Short Stuff" and "Up and Coming" which operate on a space available basis. The conference organizers used neither service. Indeed, il the conference had wished to insure placement of its schedule in the paper prior to the conference, it would have purchased advertising space, as is done by many other student organizations. In addition, the implication that the Daily Nebraskan has not given the conference adequate publicity is nearly the opposite of actual circumstances. Beginning with a full page "Guest Opinion" column written by Berkheim in this semester's first issue, the Daily Nebraskan ran no less than 20 individual letters, editorials, columns and news stories on the conference. Clearly, the conference received more prior publicity than most conferences in the past. The Daily Nebraskan agrees that the unprinted schedule was a regrettable oversight. None the less, the organizers of the conference are extremely shortsighted in blaming the conference's failings on this omission. These failings actually go much deeper. Jim Gray aid on ! A new group is raiding the UNL campus asking for signatures on a petition to help the whole community. The Nebraska Public Interest Research Group is an organization designed to enable the University community to help itself. In 1970 Ralph Nader established an organization known as the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). It was designed to serve as Nader's research, writing and legal arm. Among its first interests were consumer affairs and environmental work. Now, at UNL, an offshoot of the original PIRG, NEBPIRG has been formed. NEBPIRG hopes to gain enough support from the entire community so that it might seek change within the established legal and political system. The problem they now face is financial. NEBPIRG is now beginning a petition drive with hopes of realizing enough signatures to be supported by a voluntary student assessment of $1.50 per semester per student at UNL. Such petition drives have aleady been successful at other schools in Nebraska. The money collected by such an assessment would go to a student board of directors which will then hire professional staff people to administer the action that the whole public interest group movement is directing itself towards. The NEBPIRG petition signature drive hopes to collect at least 11,000 signatures to be used to indicate support for the idea. This plurality would then enable the group to gain University support for the voluntary collection scheme. This is the same voluntary funding used to raise money for a low income scholarship program now on the tuition and fee schedule. The only way the group could ever be successful is by collecting the needed signatures, endorsement and participation of a large number of UNL students, faculty and staff. From that point on, the interests it pursues on the community's behalf would serve to benefit the people that comprise it. NEBPIRG organizers can be contacted at their office in the Union, room 344, telephone 472-2591. They are now seeking petitioners, petition signers, workers and supporters. NEBPIRG's desire to succeed at this point is one of the most refreshing and encouraging movements organized on this campus. Their efforts to aid the public interest are most heartily endorsed. Palpable rightism A surprise to the persons present in the East Campus Union yesterday afternoon, the self described "broad point of view" of conservative opinion presented by James Jackson Kilpatrick proved to be a stimulating bit of metaphorical rhetoric. Kilpatrick's style left one with the opinion that extreme conservatism and its political obscurity may still be salvageable in this country, but only by a few. His challenges of the Nixon administration he once supported were quite pointed and well reasoned, although again , somewhat askew of opinions of some members of his audience. When conservatism at is finest is presented it is a sad observation that so few heard it, since it was presented so well. Barry ruger y Steve Christensen is a junior in Teacher's College and an ASUN Senator. by Steve Christensen Students see ASUN as an obscure body far removed from the voice of the students. If the new Constitution is approved, limiting membership to 15 senators, I believe that ASUN would become even farther removed from student needs and demands, possibly ignoring them altogether. Limiting membership to 15 would also make it much easier for one political party to dominate ASUN, a majority being only eight senators. I oppose the "rule of many by a few" and believe most students do also. Another flaw of the new Constitution is that there is no separation of power between the executive and legislative branches. It's proponents claim that this is more efficient, and I agree. Tyranny is always more efficient than democracy. Minority opinions would not be heard if the new constitution were adopted I welcome diversity of opinion and ideas, and I think it is healthy. Many students have complained that ASUN has not accomplished much this year, and variably the blame is placed upon the membership of the senate. However, this is only half the answer. Senate is a policy making body, with the executive branch enforcing that policy. All work is done through committees, with committee chairpersons being appointed by the president. If projects do not progress or are not completed, it is the fault of the committee chairperson, and ultimately the fault of the president for makiog the appointment in the first place. Strong executive leadership is needed to make committee chairperson appointments who will work to see that committee projects are completed. Strong executive leadership has been lacking this year, and is the primary reason for iinreasonable student government. We as students should see to it that we "are not fooled again." , PAGE 4 THE DAILY NEBRASKAN THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1972